Device for dispensing paper napkins



' Feb. 1.525,040

S. M. PAINTER DEVICE FOR DISPENSING PAPER NAPKINS Filed Sept. 4. 1923 Patented Feb. 3, 1925,

UITED STATES FF 1 Q E,

FATE? SAMUEL M. PAINTER, OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EARL D. MAY, OF KANSAS CITY, IFIISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING PAPER NAPKINS.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. PAINTER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Fort Scott, in the county of Bourbon and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Dispensing Paper Napkins, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to dispensing devices and more particularly to devices for dispensing paper napkins in such manner that each napkin may be easily grasped and readily removed without touching any other napkin of the pile or stack, thus avoiding contamination and the spread of disease and tending materially to sanitary and general cleanliness.

A further object is the provision of a napkin dispensing device which will be simple, economical and durable, which may be readily and easily refilled and which will be highly efifective and efficient for the intended purposes.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device ready for use,

Figure 2 is a central vertical cross section therethrough,

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken along the inner surface of one of the side walls with the lids removed, and

Figure A is a detail perspective view of one of the lids.

Referring now to these figures my invention proposes a dispensing device including a rectangular casing generally indicated at 10 and seated upon a base 11, the casing including front and rear walls 12 and 13 as well as side walls 14 and 15 of which the said side walls are provided with upper triangular extensions 16 above the upper edges of the front and rear walls 12 and 13.

The above mentioned extensions 16 of the side walls have inner angularly disposed grooves 17 paralleling their edges, the lower ends of which grooves terminate adjacent to the sides of the outer edges of the front and rear walls, and the upper ends of which grooves cross one another adjacent to the apices of the upper extensions 16 of the side walls so that they are adapted to receive the side edges of a pair of lids 18 together form- 4, 1923. Serial No. 660,847.

ing a closure member. These lids have plain edges at opposite ends and along one side, and the other side edge of each thereof is rolled to form a head 19, the lids being readily slidable into and out of the grooves 17 angularly with respect to one another and one at a time, with their beaded edges 19 uppermost so that they form handles for the manipulation of the lids in their movement into and out of the groove.

As plainly seen in Figures 1 and 2 the beaded upper edges 19 of the lids 18 are spaced slightly apart when the lids are in efiective position so that they thus form between them a dispensing slot 20 through which the paper napkins seen at A may be withdrawn from the inside of the casing.

Within the casing is a napkin rest plate and follower 21 disposed horizontally and normally pressed in an upward direct-ion by an actuating spring 22 which seats on the base 11 and whose upper end engages the lower surface of the follower plate, it being plainly seen from Figure 2 in particular that the napkins A are folded in interlapping relation so that as each napkin is withdrawn through the dispensing slot 20, a portion or in other words the upper fold of the next succeeding napkin will be drawn upwardly into the slot so that it may be readily grasped and removed. During removal of the several napkins of the pile or stack within the casing, they are constantly shifted upwardly as a whole by the tension of the spring 22 and it is obvious that for the purposes of refilling the casing or in other words replenishing the pile or stack of napkins it is simply necessary to slide the lids 18 upwardly out of the grooves 17 thus ex posing the entire upper portion of the interior of the casing in order that the new supply of paper napkins may be easily placed in position and the lids subsequently replaced as shown.

I claim:

A napkin dispensing device consisting of an upright casing having a spring controlled internal napkin rest plate and follower, said casing having front, rear and side walls of which the said side walls have upstanding triangular extensions above the front and rear walls, provided with grooves along the inner surfaces and paralleling the edges thereof, and lids slidable angularly and oppositely with respect to one another into and out of said grooves through the upper inner ends thereof, said lids having their adjacent edges spaced apart in the effective position and forming a, dispensng slot therebetween, the said adjacent edges of the said lids hav ingrolled beads there-along to prevent tearing of the napkins during Withdrawal and forming handles for ready removal and replacement of the lids. 10

lnztestin'mny whereof I have afiixed my signature. 7 r

, SAMUEL M. PAINTER. 

